Chapter 14
Half Human, Half Demon, Half Dragon
Kim Jun ascended the staircase from the underground toward the surface, his awareness turned inward.
Two distinct currents of mana now flowed within his body: the mana of a dragon, and the mana of a demon.
The human mana he once possessed had completely vanished during the transplantation of the Dragon Heart. In its place, a new power had been added through his contract with Asmodeus.
I need to fuse them.
Carefully, he brought the two energies into contact.
A violent backlash erupted instantly.
The dragon’s mana was fierce and overwhelming, surging like molten lava, imbued with the nature of blazing red flames. It had already been strengthened by the fire attribute he possessed since his awakening as a hunter.
In contrast, the demon’s mana was cold and sinister—like a bottomless darkness that devoured all light. It carried within it the will of despair and destruction.
Two forces of completely opposite nature—one born of light, the other its absolute opposite—clashed violently inside his body.
Kim Jun dropped to one knee as intense pain wracked him.
The dragon’s fiery mana tried to dominate the right side of his body, while the demon’s dark mana sought control of the left. Where the two collided, near his heart, it felt as though an explosion was tearing him apart from within.
But he had endured worse.
This is nothing compared to when I transplanted the Dragon Heart.
Back then, he had truly stood at death’s doorstep.
Steadying his breathing, he tried again.
I can’t just force them together. I need to regulate them step by step.
This time, he allowed only a tiny amount of each to meet—a single drop of red flame, a single drop of black darkness.
The resistance remained, but it was weaker.
Slowly, patiently, Kim Jun began to harmonize the two forces.
He tempered the heat of the flames and softened the chill of the darkness. He dulled the aggression of fire and restrained the destructive urge of the void.
Like a careful negotiation, he guided them toward mutual acceptance.
Thirty minutes passed.
Then an hour.
Cold sweat streamed down his face, but the conflict between the two energies gradually subsided. Fire and darkness no longer rejected each other—they began to coexist.
And then—
Now!
He fused them completely.
A new form of mana was born.
Black flames.
Not the ordinary red flames of the world, but something entirely different—an otherworldly fire that had never existed before.
A dark blaze edged in crimson. Mysterious. Ominous.
And within it, something undeniable—an unyielding will that would never be extinguished.
Ordinary fire could be snuffed out—by lack of oxygen, by water, by wind.
But this flame was different.
It felt eternal.
At that moment, a notification rang out.
You are the first in the world to achieve this.
You have formed a formal contract with a demon.
Fusion of dragon power and demon power successful.
Unique Skill Acquired: Black Flame
All stats +50
Title Acquired: Contractor of the Demon
It’s been a while, Kim Jun thought.
This was the power he had once created after conquering hell in his previous life—by combining darkness with his existing fire attribute.
He checked his status.
Name: Kim Jun
Race: Half Human, Half Demon, Half Dragon
Rank: S-Class
Level: 40
Strength: 157 (+50)
Agility: 130 (+50)
Intelligence: 92 (+50)
Health: 149,800 / 150,000
Mana: 25,600 / 26,000
Titles: Dragon Slayer, Master of the Labyrinth, Contractor of the Demon
“Half human, half demon, half dragon…”
A faint smile crossed his lips.
A human body, a dragon’s heart, and a pact with a demon.
He no longer belonged fully to any one race.
But that only meant greater potential.
If he could harness the strengths of all three, even the being waiting on the 100th floor would not be beyond his reach.
He raised his hand.
A black flame flickered to life in his palm.
It felt entirely different from ordinary fire.
Hot, yet it did not burn. Dark, yet it gave off light. A contradiction that existed in perfect harmony.
With this, even divine power could be opposed.
“Return—Thebes.”
There was no reason to delay any longer.
After returning via Bifrost, it would be time to challenge the 11th floor.
In Korea, five great guilds were widely recognized.
The Azure Dragon Guild, led by Han Seojin, master of ice magic. Under his absolute-zero domain, no monster could move.
The Black Tiger Guild, co-led by the twin martial artists Park Cheol-min and Park Cheol-su, whose coordination could overwhelm even S-class monsters.
The Taebaek Guild, commanded by Kang Dong-hyuk, famed for his massive warhammer said to shatter mountains in a single blow.
The Buyeo Guild, led by Yu Gi-ha, specialists in group buffs and flawless teamwork, capable of defeating enemies stronger than themselves.
And finally—
Kim Jun’s Han Guild.
Only five members, including the guild master.
All S-class.
An elite force.
Inside a tavern in Thebes, hunters were deep in heated debate.
“Has to be the Iron Fist twins, right?”
“No way, it’s obviously Han Seojin. The Azure Dragon Guild is the strongest.”
“Once he casts his ice domain, he’s basically invincible!”
“So what? Most of his guild is only A-class!”
“Numbers matter. Ever heard of overwhelming force?”
“And what about Black Tiger? Both leaders are S-class!”
“Taebaek’s Kang Dong-hyuk could crush everything with one swing—”
A quieter voice cut in.
“What about the Han Guild?”
“Han Guild? There’s only five of them.”
“But they’re all S-class.”
“Come on… there’s no way five people already cleared the 10th floor.”
Still, a few nodded thoughtfully.
“But their leader, Kim Jun… he really is strong.”
“Didn’t he solo an A-class monster in a gate?”
“Even so… the 10th floor is—”
A notification rang out.
Tower Announcement:
First-ever access to the Underground Floors unlocked.
Discoverer: [Identity Withheld]
New Region: Hell, Floors 1–100
Difficulty: ★★★★★
The tavern fell silent.
“Underground?”
“Hell? There’s actually a hell?”
“Who the hell opened that?!”
Speculation erupted once more.
“Azure Dragon Guild, maybe?”
“No, it has to be Black Tiger!”
The debate raged for over an hour.
Then—
Another notification.
Tower Announcement:
First challenger has entered the 11th Floor.
Challenger: [Identity Withheld]
Theme: Heaven
Difficulty: ★★★★★
Silence returned.
“Heaven and hell? What is this?”
“No way it’s the same person… right?”
“Yeah… no chance…”
And yet—
Deep down, everyone was thinking the same thing.
What if it is?
Heaven, Floor 11.
The moment Kim Jun passed through the golden gate, he felt it—
Overwhelming divine power.
The very air was saturated with holiness. Any ordinary elemental attack would be reduced to less than half its effectiveness.
But Kim Jun had Black Flame.
The monsters began to appear.
A massive lion made of sacred light charged forward, its golden mane blazing.
A winged white horse descended from the sky, hooves raised.
Flocks of radiant eagles circled overhead.
Kim Jun let out a quiet sigh and extended his hand.
Black flames spread outward.
It didn’t matter what they were.
The moment the sacred beings touched the flames, their divine light was consumed by darkness and erased.
“This is nothing like before.”
In his previous life, he had reached this floor at level 15. Back then, even a single sacred lion had been a deadly challenge.
Now, unless it was a boss, the monsters barely granted experience.
Sacred wolves, golden stags, divine bears—countless heavenly creatures appeared, only to vanish just as easily.
Wherever he walked, black fire followed.
And everything in its path disappeared.
Silently.
Inevitably.
In their place, rewards were left behind.
Small, silver-glowing crystals scattered across the ground.
Lunarium.
A rare mineral found only within the Tower, essential for crafting and enhancing high-grade equipment. The variety found in Heaven was especially pure—and valuable.
With a wave of his hand, Kim Jun stored them in his subspace pouch.
Lunarium acquired: 47
Total: 47
“Not bad.”
He continued forward.
After some time, he arrived before a massive golden palace at the center of Heaven.
At its entrance stood a grand door, inscribed with divine patterns.
The boss room of the 11th floor.
Kim Jun stopped before it and took a slow breath.
“Alright.”
The golden doors creaked open.
